We were lucky to catch up with Maggie Rechkemmer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maggie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

As a creative I think it’s easy to want to chase the trends and get pulled into doing what you deem as the norm and desired by clients. I’ve learned over the years that what makes photography beautiful isn’t the perfectly posed and curated images but deep connections between people and what they love. Take away the expensive dress, the golden sunset, every hair in its exact place – and what should still remain is the emotions we have with each other – especially within our families. I strive to create an atmosphere for clients to be themselves as well as have genuine interactions with their families – with an emphasis on including anything in their current phase of life that is special to them. From a trip to the farmers market, playing basketball at their local park, enjoying pizza and a movie, or even as simple as peek a boo with their beloved blanket. It’s important to me to document significant little moments and show how magical the simple things really are.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m Maggie – I’m a family photographer located in Moline, IL. I originally worked in healthcare but have always had a love for art and people. I started my photography business as a side gig and it quickly grew after deciding I would stay home after we had our first baby. I’ve always felt connected to the family unit and documenting the details and interactions that we don’t want to forget at each stage in life – whether it be before baby is earth-side or well into teenage years. I think each stage deserves to be documented and not curated. People are beautiful and wonderful as they were made – and I want that to shine through authentically in my work. I separate myself with others but focusing on playing and activity based sessions at a favorite spot, enjoying a favorite treat, playing games in an open field – whatever is special or unique to the family. I love creating a space for clients to be themselves and relax and enjoy their family during a session (especially with good music playing!). The best compliment post session isn’t just that they love their photos – but that the family had so much fun spending time with me – and more importantly – together as a family.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Hands down kindness! My best growth has been word of mouth. Whether it’s students I have taught or clients loving their experience they have always been the best marketing! Being kind in this industry is simply treating your clients as you would want to be treated. I work with families so I understand kids get sick, appointments come up, and life is so busy! I try my best to accommodate and make it a smooth process. Even in situations that are tricky I always give it 24 hours for me to think of the best way to approach the situation and not have a knee-jerk reaction. We all want to be treated kindly and fairly – and I try to approach all my interactions that way.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

As a small business owner with a family I am constantly pivoting! I think when you own your own business it’s so important to keep your priorities in order as it’s so easy to get caught underneath tons of work (especially when you love what you do). After getting pregnant with our 2nd child I knew I didn’t want to be working long days on the weekends, so it was an easy decision to stop providing wedding photography. I didn’t want to commit to a day a year or two ahead and now I don’t open my calendar until 3 months in advance so that my family always gets priority. I know when both of my children are in school full time I’ll once again pivot so I can maximize the amount of time I’m with them. To me – it is the biggest benefit of having your own business to own your own schedule and set healthy boundaries.

Contact Info:

• Website: maggierechkemmer.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/maggie.rechkemmer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggierechkemmerco

Image Credits
I took them all :)